1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to valet parking systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for managing valet parking systems that improves the efficiency of valet parking processes.
2. Discussion
Valet parking has long been popular at various establishments such as restaurants, hotels and nightclubs. Under conventional valet parking schemes, a valet parking attendant gives a ticket stub (corresponding to a valet ticket), to an owner/driver of a vehicle when the driver arrives at the establishment. In return, the driver transfers keys and possession of the vehicle over to the parking attendant, and enters the establishment. The attendant then parks the vehicle in a parking area in an identifiable location. When the driver leaves the establishment and requests the return of the vehicle, the attendant (which may or may not be the attendant that parked the vehicle) retrieves the vehicle from the parking area based on the information provided by the ticket stub. The retrieving attendant then transfers the keys (and possession of the vehicle) back to the driver upon returning to the valet staging area.
While a few technologies have been developed to make the above process more efficient, certain difficulties remain. For example, it has been experienced that the driver may claim or allege damage to the vehicle during the time period in which possession was transferred to the parking attendant/valet service. Conventional valet parking services, however, provide manual or no mechanism (aside from the word of the valet attendant) for determining the validity of such claims. It is therefore easy to understand that valet service providers are placed in a compromised position when an attendant either denies damaging a vehicle or alleges that the damage was pre-existing. Without conclusive evidence, valet service providers typically must bear the costs of all alleged damage and/or pay higher insurance premiums. It is therefore desirable to provide a mechanism for isolating the time period during which damage occurs to a vehicle with regard to a valet parking process.
Another concern relates to the accountability of valet parking attendants. For example, valet parking attendants have often been characterized as being reckless with vehicles due to the lack of monitoring common to most valet parking systems. It is also believed that this recklessness is partially a function of the fact that conventional systems fail to adequately track damage as discussed above. This is particularly true considering the fact that the attendant parking the vehicle may or may not be the attendant retrieving the vehicle in any given circumstance. It is therefore desirable to provide a computerized valet parking system that enables the linking vehicle damage to valet parking attendants.
The above and other objectives are provided by a method for managing a computerized valet parking system in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The method provides for linking pre-parking digital images of the vehicle to a first set of valet parking data in an electronic database. The pre-parking digital images document a physical condition of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked by a first valet attendant. The method further provides for retrieving the pre-parking digital images from the electronic database based on the first set of valet parking data. In one embodiment, post-parking digital images and a second set of valet parking data are linked to the pre-parking digital images and the first set of valet parking data. Thus, it can readily be determined whether damage occurred to the vehicle before the first valet attendant parked the vehicle based on the pre-parking digital images and whether damage occurred after a second valet attendant retrieved the vehicle based on the post-parking digital images.
Further in accordance with the present invention, a method for linking digital images of a vehicle to a set of valet parking data is provided. The method provides for collecting the valet parking data from a valet parking attendant, and collecting the digital images from a plurality of digital cameras. The images document a physical condition of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked by the valet attendant. The method further provides for storing the valet parking data and the digital images to an electronic database.
In another aspect of the invention, a computerized valet parking system includes a first kiosk, a first digital camera array and a network server. The first kiosk collects a first set of valet parking data from a first valet attendant. The first digital camera array collects pre-parking digital images of a vehicle at an entrance location of a parking area. The network server links the pre-parking digital images to the first set of valet parking data. In a preferred embodiment, the parking system further includes a second kiosk and a second digital camera array. The second kiosk collects a second set of valet parking data from a second valet attendant. The second digital camera array collects post-parking digital images of the vehicle at an exit location of the parking area. Thus, the network server further links the post-parking images and the second set of valet parking data to the pre-parking images and the first set of valet parking data.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various features and embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention.